In the dispute over what should be done about age limits for players coming out of college basketball and entering the draft, expect the NBA's D-League to become a major battlefield. According to multiple sources, a proposed plan that is circulating now would see the age limit extended from its current position — one year after high school graduation — to three years, essentially barring most players from entering the NBA until they are 20 or 21. The tradeoff would come in the D-League, the NBA's burgeoning set of minor-league affiliates that will number at least 18 teams next season.

In the dispute over what should be done about age limits for players coming out of college basketball and entering the draft, expect the NBA's D-League to become a major battlefield. According to multiple sources, a proposed plan that is circulating now would see the age limit extended from its current position — one year after high school graduation — to three years, essentially barring most players from entering the NBA until they are 20 or 21. The tradeoff would come in the D-League, the NBA's burgeoning set of minor-league affiliates that will number at least 18 teams next season.

The idea behind the potential change is that, while the NBA wants to keep out players who are viewed as too young, it does not want to deny them the chance to make a living. That's been the source of opposition to a change in the age limit from agents and players alike.